Homemade Whole Wheat Tortillas

I love homemade tortillas!

I really don’t like to eat the store bought packaged tortillas. I was pretty spolied to grow up with freshly made tortillas. I will always remember my grandmother in the kitchen, making homemade tortillas. Her tortillas are the best! She would crank out dozens of tortillas, by hand. My brother and I would grab a freshly warm tortilla and spread peanut butter on it. Fold up the tortilla and the peanut butter would melt and ooze out. Oh man… that’s the best way to eat fresh tortillas. My grandmother would roll out these perfect little tortilla circles, by hand. Every single tortilla would be perfectly round.

I have learned to make my own tortillas. I made these homemade whole wheat tortillas, and they’re delicious. After the first tortilla was done cooking, I grabbed that peanut butter and slathered that baby right up! Yum yum! I even have our five year old son hooked on peanut butter and tortillas.

Not all restaurants get it…

When we lived in Texas, all the mexican restaurants made homemade tortillas. Fresh homemade tortillas are a big deal down there. You could also purchase fresh tortillas from the local bakeries. Even some of the big chain grocery stores, started to make their own tortillas and sell them. Since we moved to Michigan, I don’t get to have that luxury. I did get excited to eat at an “authentic” mexican restaurant, here in Michigan. We ordered our food and I opened the tortilla container they brought out. I looked at it and thought, really? No… let me try it. This tortilla was not homemade! I was in shock, to discover this from a mexican restaurant. They weren’t fooling me! I have become a tortilla snob and I can’t help it.

I have provided some pictures to help you through the tortilla making process.

I’m not a professional and my tortillas are not all the same size or perfectly round. They do taste good and are healthier than any store bought tortilla. It may take a few attempts to get the rolling technique down.

After you have mixed the ingredients together and formed a dough, allow it to rest for five minutes. Then shape your dough into 12 even pieces. Roll them each into a ball. Flour your kitchen counter and grab a dough ball.

Gently and evenly, flatten out the dough ball. Make sure to have the area floured well. You don’t want the dough to stick to the counter. It’ll need to move around.

Grab the rolling pin and start from the middle to roll out. Turn the dough 1/4 turn counter clock wise and gently roll with rolling pin. Keep turning the dough 1/4 turn, after each roll. You want to keep the dough even all around while rolling out. If the dough starts to stick to the counter, add more flour underneath.

This will take a little practice. As you can see, my tortillas aren’t a perfect circle. I still need to practice my technique. Really roll as thin as you can.

When you have finished rolling the tortillas, preheat your desired cookware. I used my electric non-stick griddle pan.

Cook for about a minute on medium heat, until they get bubbled and lightly golden. Flip over and cook for 30 seconds.

Almost done!

My grandmother always placed the finished tortillas on a clean kitchen towel and stacked them. And kept them covered with the kitchen towel. So that’s what I did.

Homemade Whole Wheat Tortillas – Makes 12 tortillas

1 1/2 cups white whole wheat flour

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/3 cup canola oil

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup hot water

STEP ONE:Bread Machine Method – Place all the ingredients in the bread machine pan. Set on dough cycle and let the machine mix and knead the dough. You don’t want to run the whole dough cycle. Stop the machine once a smooth dough has been formed. Allow the dough to rest for 5 minutes.

By Hand – In a large bowl, whisk together the flours, baking powder and salt. Add the oil and hot water and start mixing with a wooden spoon. A dough will start to come together. Use your hands and really mix together and start to knead the dough. Knead the dough for 5 minutes, until a nice and smooth texture has been formed. Allow to rest 5 minutes.

STEP TWO: Shape into twelve pieces and roll into balls. Flour the counter and place a dough ball on floured surface. Gently press down to flatten the dough ball. Use the rolling pin to start from the middle of the dough. Gently start to roll out and then turn the dough a 1/4 of a turn. You want to keep turning the tortilla after each time you use the rolling pin. Keep even pressure while rolling the dough out. Continue to roll and turn, roll and turn, until you have rolled out a thin tortilla. If the dough starts to stick, add more flour underneath. You don’t want the dough to stick to the counter.

STEP THREE: Preheat pan to a medium heat. Place on heated cooking surface and cook for about a minute or until it gets bubbled and lightly golden. Flip over and continue to cook for 30 seconds. Place cooked tortillas in a clean kitchen towel and wrap. Can store the cooked tortillas in a plastic baggie.

NOTE: Since these are fresh and made without preservatives, they will stay fresh for a few days. You could turn them into Cinnamon Sugar Tortilla Chips, if they start to harden.